I need an official answer. Are they working on delivering what's on the box, or not?  I think it's a fair question.

You question is valid, but the answer is no. I wouldn't really expect more answers than the one already linked.

Well, the answer he wants is probably 'yes.'  Why he wants an answer from someone more 'official' than the CEO of Stardock is beyond me.

But I do agree that MOCKUP ART should not have been put on the box.  It's misleading.

Indeed. If there's a CGI rendered Superman picture on the box but there's only a plastic action figure inside, that's such a total ripoff.

Seriously - when has box art ever been more than loosely related to the game inside?  Even 8 bit computer/console titles often had mockup pictures on the box...

I call for a vote of no confidence in metalfacekevin's thread topic.     <- To emulate Natalie Portman's facial expressions.

Ummm, mock-up art has never really been a standby of anything other than promotion/previews in the PC games industry.  Doctored photos enhancing the textures, colour enhancement, and careful setup of in-game situations, however, is common.  I think that's what you're mistaking for mock-ups.  A mock-up is something created in Photoshop as a 'prototypical' interface; what the developer envisions a game to eventually be.  It's not any more functional or interactive than a LOLCAT.jpg.

I had a battle with over 100 soldiers and a dragon, and a wizard on my side vs about 80 of the same on the other, that was pretty massive, how massive do you want?

While the Sacred Ashes trailer is freaking amazing and obviously in no way indicative of the level of graphics in Dragon Age, it accurately represents the epic feel of the final game (granted I only started playing at 1.04 so I can't talk to the state on release).

The box art for Elemental's "epic battles" is the antithesis of every aspect of this game.  No part of it feels heroic, massive, epic or whatever other superlative you wish to attach.

Sacred Ashes is akin to showing a top notch AAA quality trailer for a very solid, albeit derivative action flick.  Elemental is showing shots from a AAA baseball game then delivering a management sim.  Sure it's great for some people, but it bears almost nothing to what was promised

I'd put it down to - the cover box art is cover box art and meant to give an artists impression of what the game is about. 

The screen shots are on the back of the box - depicting actual game play.

I personally play many many games where the cover art is not possible in the game what many movies where the dvd cover doesn't actually happen.  

Look to the screen shots for what you can actually do in the game.  it's why they are there.  The confusion seems to be that the style of the cover art was so similar to the style of the game play and that was probably the reason why so many people got confused by it.

I suppose you also call for a manager every time your burger doesn't look like the picture at McDonald's?  How about when the novel you pick up doesn't have pictures inside to match the ones on the outside? WTF false advertisement!!!!

Any of you bashing the OP are drinking the kool aid in excess. He has every right to expect whats on the box to be in the game. The developers are perfectly capable of defending themselves usually with more well though out responses. However, this issue really can not be defended. The game is completely incapable of recreating what you see in that screen shot. There should have been a decision maker with some foresight to say lets use screen shots that actually represent the game. Sadly in 1.08 those screen shots would be battles between summoned minions and a few forward observers because metal no longer exists.

Those of you that tout marketing magic or "I play plenty of games with something like this"; you need only turn your copy of Civ V over. One screen shot of Ramses diplomacy screen. I saw that in my very first game. Second screen is a generic city top down view. There is a difference between AAA and a pretender. As much as I want to support Stardock this game is just lacking in so many areas.

Also for another fun one check your emails for the other marketing genius move of "free expansions". This was already beaten to death in another thread.

This is why cereal boxes always have the words "Serving suggestion" next to whatever image of the cereal they use to represent the product.  You're not getting fruit and milk and a bowl and a spoon and orange juice and some athlete or anything else that's on the box; just cereal.  Stardock should put those words on all their game boxes from now on:  Serving suggestion.  That way they can claim it's possible to recreate the image using the game, but the game won't necessarily provide that exact experience without you adding the bowl and spoon and milk.